US President Donald Trump told Fox News he believed negotiators had a ‘good chance’ of reaching an agreement with Iran, while again threatening devastating strikes if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He warned he was contemplating major military action and seizure of oil assets if Iran failed to comply, saying any attack would leave the country deeply damaged for years.
The remarks followed a profane post on his Truth Social account threatening attacks on power plants, bridges and other infrastructure, and a terse online deadline — ‘Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time!’ — that appeared to extend an earlier ultimatum. The White House has previously extended similar deadlines amid reports of mediation progress.
The threats come amid rising hostilities that began in late February when US and Israeli forces launched full-scale operations against Iranian targets. In recent days two US aircraft were downed in separate incidents, including an F-15 confirmed lost over Iran. US forces conducted a major search-and-rescue that recovered a second missing airman; the weapons systems officer was reported injured but in stable condition, and Trump praised the extraction as exceptionally daring.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any strikes on its infrastructure. Foreign Ministry officials said Tehran would reciprocate attacks on energy or transport facilities, and influential parliamentarians condemned the US threats as likely to bring suffering to American families. Iranian commanders have continued missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region and have celebrated recent actions against US aircraft.
The conflict has already disrupted global energy flows. Iran has largely halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that once carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil — forcing market and logistical disruptions. OPEC+ agreed to a modest increase in May quotas of about 206,000 barrels per day but acknowledged that actual production gains are limited by damaged facilities and wider supply challenges. Energy analysts warn that a prolonged closure of Hormuz could drive oil prices much higher.
There are growing humanitarian and regional spillover effects. Lebanon’s health ministry reported three civilians killed in an Israeli strike east of Beirut. Israel’s defense minister pledged to target Iranian leaders and strategic assets if missile attacks continue. Iran’s military command claimed it had struck energy facilities in Israel and Gulf states in retaliation for an Israeli strike on a large petrochemical complex inside Iran.
Inside Iran, authorities have imposed a sustained internet blackout. NetBlocks reports the current nationwide shutdown has lasted more than five weeks — the longest on record — with global internet access limited to a small number of authorized users and civilians facing arrest if they attempt to bypass restrictions.
Diplomacy and protest continue amid the violence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Syria and Turkey to expand security cooperation and promote Ukrainian expertise in countering missiles and drones. In Berlin, several hundred people joined Easter peace marches protesting what demonstrators called a US‑Israeli war on Iran.
Analysts caution that dramatic rhetoric and hard deadlines have been issued and then postponed as mediators work, and they note Iran’s leadership is unlikely to be swayed by threats alone. US and Israeli officials say they will keep pressure on Tehran, but observers warn the situation remains volatile: energy markets, regional security and civilian populations are all at risk as both sides signal a willingness to escalate.